Air distributing devices with temperature-responsive pattern control



March 14, 1967 H. K. VEBER AIR DISTRIBUTING DEVICES WITH TEMPERATURE-RESPONSIVE PATTERN CONTROL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 7, 1964 HOYT K. VEBER BYi $4 Qw ATT'YS H. K. VEBER AIR DISTRIBUTING DEVICES WITH March 14, 1967 TEMPERATURE-RESPONSIVE PATTERN CONTROL 2 SheetsSheet 2 Filed Aug. 7, 1964 A I 'l INVENTOR. 3 HOYT K. VEBER BY (AZ 5s United States Patent 3,308,742 AIR DISTRIBUTING DEVICES WITH TEMPERA- TURE-RESPONSIVE PATTERN CONTROL Hoyt K. Veber, Kellogg, Iowa, assignor to Titus Manufacturing Corporation, Waterloo, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Filed Aug. 7, 1964, Ser. No. 388,093 4 Claims. (Cl. 98-40) This invention, in general, relates to air distributing devices and more particularly pertains to air distributing devices which are normally mounted along a wall adjacent the floor of a room or zone to be heated and/ or cooled by the supply of forced air through the air distributin g device.

The air distributing devices of the invention are especially adapted to serve as baseboard or perimeter-type diffusers. These diffusers are located along a wall or walls of a room at the floor. The air discharged from the air distributing devices flows outwardly and/ or upwardly into the room.

A need has been recognized for controlling the air discharge pattern for distributing devices of this type whereby warm air such as is supplied during the heating season is discharged in one type of pattern, while cool air such as is supplied by refrigerated air conditioning systems is discharged in another pattern.

The reason for utilizing different air discharge patterns lies in the relationship of the air supplied through the distributing device to the room air, especially the temperature relationship. Air which is warmer than the room air, upon discharge into the room, will tend to rise. Accordingly, for best results in maintaining a uniform temperature during the heating season, the warmer air discharged from the air distributing device preferably is discharged in the form of a spread pattern whereby the warmer air will be discharged both outwardly and upwardly into the room. This pattern provides warmer air along the floor area of the room and also provides a spread pattern discharge which is more efiicient in providin a warm air curtain along a cold outside wall.

On the other hand, air which is cooler than the room air should be discharged from a baseboard or perimetertype diffuser in a substantially vertical pattern so that the cool air, under the velocity impetus upon discharge from the diffuser, rises into the upper portions of the room before its main stream loses enough velocity to cause the cooler air to begin to fall and mix with the warmer air of the room.

This invention relates to air distributing devices in which a baseboard or perimeter-type diifuser is provided by wall means defining a cavity, opposite which is provided a wall member movable toward and away from the cavity. The space between the wall member and the cavity forms an air passage, the width of which is controlled by the relative position of the wall member and the wall defining the cavity. Forced air is supplied to the passage in the lower portion of the air distributing device. It is discharged from the aforesaid passage in either a substantially vertical or upward pattern or in a spread pattern (a fan-shaped air flow pattern) depending upon the relative position between the wall member and the cavity. The relative position, in turn, i under the control of a temperature-responsive mechanism which senses the temperature of the air supplied to the distributing device and flow through the passage. This temperature-responsive mechanism provides the correct relative position between the wall member and the cavity so that the most desirable air discharge pattern i automatically provided for the type of air being handled by the air distributing device.

3,368,742 Patented Mar. 14, 1967 It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide air distributing devices of the baseboard or perimeter-type having an air dis-charge pattern control opera- 'ble in response to the temperature of the air supplied to said device.

Still another object of the invention is to provide air distributing devices utilizing wall means defining a cavity, a wall member movable toward and away from said cavity, and temperature-responsive mean controlling said movement.

Still another object of the invention is to provide improvements in air distributing devices in which the air discharge pattern is automatic-ally selected in response to the temperature of the air supplied to the device.

Still another object of the invention is to provide air distributing devices of the aforesaid character having a cam member operated by a temperature-responsive mechanism, said cam member controlling the relative position of a movable wall member which, in turn, controls the air discharge pattern of the device.

The foregoing and numerous other important objects, advantages, and inherent functions of the invention will become apparent as the same is more fully understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of an air distributing device of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a similar view to FIG. 1 with the front wall disconnected from its bias and pivoted forwardly;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, perspective view similar to FIG. 1 and showing the close-off damper in open positron;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view, in section on section plane 44 of FIG. 2, of the embodiment;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are, respectively, sections taken on section planes 55 and 6--6 of FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 7 and 8 are, respectively, sections taken on section planes 77 of FIG. 5 and showing the temperature-responsive mechanism in two different positions.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a baseboard or perimeter-type air distributing device or diffuser 10 made from stamped metal. The diffuser comprises a bottom wall 11 and a rear wall 12. The end portions device The rear wall 12, end portions 13 and 14 andupper portion 16 define an elongated cavity in the rearward portion of the air distributing device or diifuser 10.

The bottom wall' 11 has a rectangular opening 20 covered by a close-off damper 18 hinged by piano hinge 19 to the forward edge of the bottom wall 11. The closeotf damper 18 is essentially a flat plate adapted to be pivoted between closed and maximum open position, cf., FIG. 2 and FIG. 3.

An upwardly-extending car 21 with an elongated slot 22 is provided along one side of the pivotable damper 18. The rear wall 12 has a holder plate 23 mounted thereon. The holder plate 23 pivotally holds a leg of a bent, stiff wire 24 having a bent end 25 extending through and slidable in the slot 22. The opposite end of the stiff Wire 24 is an actuator arm 26 having a handle 27 mounted on the end thereof. The handle 27 is moved by hand to pivot the wire 24 in the holder 23 and thereby pivot the lamper.

The air distributing device further comprises a front wali 28 movable toward and away from the aforesaid :avity formed in the rearward portion of the diffuser housing. In the illustrated case this movement is a swinging or pivotal movement provided by the hinging via hinges 29 and 30 of the lower'edge of the front wall 28 to the bottom wall 11. The front wall 28 is shaped to provide triangular, substantially planar segments 31 and 52 in the outer, lower corners thereof. The mid-portion of the front wall 28 is bent to provide an outwardly faclng, concave face or 'surface 33 and an inwardly facing, convex surface 34. The upper edge of the front'wall and the upwardly and inwardly sloping side edges thereof may be provided with a small flange 35 to strengthen the edges and also eliminate sharpness of these edges.

A small bracket 36 is "mounted on the-inner side of the front wall 28. It has a small ear 37 with an aperture therein, in which aperture is secured one end of a coil spring 38. The other end of the coil spring is attached to the end portion 13 of rear wall 12. The spring 38 draws the front wall 28 toward the rear Wall for a purpose hereinafter described.

A pivotable cam member or plate 39 is pivotally mounted on a bracket 40 by the pin or rivet connection 41. The bracket 40 is fixedly connected to the rear wall 12, and the cam plate 39 is pivotable in a horizontal plane relative to'the bracket 40.

The cam plate 39 has a downwardly depending ear or tab 42, and the latter has an outwardly and forwardlyextending arm 43. The bracket 40 also has a downwardly depending ear or tab 40' which, in turn, has a forwardly and outwardly-extending arm 44. A coil, tension spring 45 is mounted over the arms 43 and 44 for biasing pivotable movement of the cam plate 39.

The cam plate 39 is pivoted by a pusher rod 46 which telescopes into and out of a tubular portion 47 of a temperature-respon'sive device. This device has threads 48 threadedly-mounted in a tapped hole in the ear 40' of the bracket '40 and secured by the nut 49 in fixed'position on the bracket. The temperature-responsive device further has a head portion 50. The temperature-responsive device is of known construction and its inner mechanism does not constitute a part of the invention. It is sufiicient for descriptive purposes herein that the device has mechanism causing the pusher rod 46 to extend from the tubular portion 47 when the environment surrounding the device becomes warmer. Under these conditions, the pusher rod 46 acts against the. tension bias of spring 45 and causes the cam plate 39 to pivot in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 7. When the environment around the temperature-responsive device cools, the bias of spring 45 causes the cam plate 39 to pivot in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 7, pushing the pusher rod 46 back into the tubular portion 47.

The function of the cam plate 39 is to control the position of the front wall 28, i.e., its degree of tilt about the axes of hinges 29 and 30, in response to the temperature environment. For this purpose, the cam plate 39 has a cam edge 51 which contacts the flat part 31 of the front wall 28. When the air flowing through the distributing device is cool, the temperature-responsive mechanism is in the position shown in FIG. 7 wherein the front wall 28 contacts the rounded, tip portion 52 of the cam plate 39. In this position, the front wall is at its substantially greatest spacing relative to the rear wall portions (the position shown in full lines in FIG. Under these conditions, the air supplied to the diffuser through the opening 20 in the bottom wall provides a discharge pattern which is best for discharging cool air into a warm room, e.g., discharge of refrigerated air during operation of an air conditioning system. The discharged air, under this pattern, flows vertically upwardly with some lateral spread.

When, however, the air supplied through the opening 2t? to the diffuser is a much warmer air, such as is provided during the heating season, the pusher rod 46 extends a substantial distance from the tubular portion 47. It pushes the cam plate 39 to the pivoted position shown in FIG. 8. By virtue of the fact that the cam edge 51 diverges away from the contacting, contiguous surface of the front wall wall 23, the wall 28 is allowed to be drawn closer to the rear wall portion of the diffuser, under the urging of spring 38, as the cam plate 39 is pivoted in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGS. 7 and 8. Under a pivoted condition as shown in FIG. 8, the front wall 23 is pivoted to a position shown by the phantom lines in FIG. 5 and indicated by the numeral 28'. In this position, the air passing through and discharged from the diffuser or air distributing device is caused to spread more laterally than in the case of the position previously described for the cooler air discharge. This gives a greater lateral spread to the discharged air stream, a condition which is desirable during the heating season in order to form a warm air current over as much of the outside wall as possible.

It is thus apparent that the invention provides diffusers or air distributing devices of the baseboard or perimetertype providing air patterns for year round systems, i.e., heating and cooling. The diffusers of the invention provide a relatively high vertical throw for cooling and a. considerable wall spread for heating under the control of temperature-responsive means providing the type of pattern best suited for the pattern condition of heating or cooling. It is preferred, though not essential, that the dilfusers or air distributing devices of the invention be located on outside walls, preferably directly under or close to windows on said walls in order to obtain the best heating operation.

It is thought that the invention and its numerous at tendant advantages will be fully understood from the foregoing description, and it is obvious that numerous changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, or sacrificing any of its attendant advantages, the forms herein disclosed being preferred embodiments for the purpose of illustrating the invention.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows? 1. An .air distributing device comprising a rear wall having forwardly-directed end portions and a forwardlydirected upper portion extending along the upper part at said rear wall between said end portions,said rear wall thereby defining a cavity, a front wall opposite said cavity and spaced from said rear wall with air discharge space therebetween along the upper and side edges of said'front wall, said front wall constituting the front enclosure wall of said cavity, passage means for admitting forced air into the lower part of said device between said rear wall and front wall, means mounting said front wall for move ment toward and away from said rear wall to provide air discharge which is primarily vertical with some laterai spread when said walls are at their substantially greatest spacing and to provide air discharge with greater lateral spread when said front wall is closer to said rear wall and said air discharge space is narrower, and temperatureresponsive means in the space between said rear wall and front wall and responsive to the temperature of said forced air flowing through said device for moving said front wall toward and away from said rear wall.

2. An air distributing device comprising a bottom wall, a rear wall having forwardly-directed end portions and a forwardly-directed upper portion extending along the upper part of said rear wall between said end portions, said rear wall thereby defining a cavity, a front wall opposite said cavity and spaced from said rear wall, passage means in said bottom wall for admitting forced air into the lower part-of said device between said rear wall and front wall, means mounting said front wall for pivotal movement about a pivot axis along the lower portion of said front wall for pivotal movement of said front wall toward and away from said rear wall, resilient bias means drawing said front wall toward said rear wall, a cam member mounted in said device and having a camming surface acting against said front Wall, and temperatureresponsive means operatively associated with said cam member and responsive to the temperature of the air flowing through said device for moving said cam memher and allowing said front wall to pivot in response to teemperature changes which activate said temperatureresponsive means.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said cam member has a cam surface disposed at an angle relative to the contiguous part of said front wall, said cam surface bearing against said contiguous part of said front wall, a bracket mounted in said device, means rotatably mounting said cam member on said bracket, and a pusher rod on said temperature-responsive means moved by temperature change and operatively associated with said cam member to rotate the latter upon movement of said pusher rod.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, and resilient bias means operatively connected to said cam member and biasing against rotation of said cam by outward movement of said pusher rod from said temperature-responsive means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,796,016 6/1957 De Roa 98-40 2,814,977 12/1957 N011 236-49 X 3,068,776 12/1962 Day 98-40 3,174,422 3/1965 Banko et al 236-49 X MEYER PERLIN, Primary Examiner. ROBERT A. OLEARY, Examiner. W. E. WAYNER, Assistant Examiner. 

2. AN AIR DISTRIBUTING DEVICE COMPRISING A BOTTOM WALL, A REAR WALL HAVING FORWARDLY-DIRECTED END PORTIONS AND A FORWARDLY-DIRECTED UPPER PORTION EXTENDING ALONG THE UPPER PART OF SAID REAR WALL BETWEEN SAID END PORTIONS, SAID REAR WALL THEREBY DEFINING A CAVITY, A FRONT WALL OPPOSITE SAID CAVITY AND SPACED FROM SAID REAR WALL, PASSAGE MEANS IN SAID BOTTOM WALL FOR ADMITTING FORCED AIR INTO THHE LOWER PART OF SAID DEVICE BETWEEN SAID REAR WALL AND FRONT WALL, MEANS MOUNTING SAID FRONT WALL FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT ABOUT A PIVOT AXIS ALONG THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID FRONT WALL FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID FRONT WALL TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID REAR WALL, RESILIENT BIAS MEANS DRAWING SAID FRONT WALL TOWARD SAID REAR WALL, A CAM MEMBER MOUNTED IN SAID DEVICE AND HAVING A CAMMING SURFACE ACTING AGAINST SAID FRONT WALL, AND TEMPERATURERESPONSIVE MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CAM MEMBER AND RESPONSIVE TO THE TEMPERATURE OF THE AIR FLOWING THROUGH SAID DEVICE FOR MOVING SAID CAM MEMBER AND ALLOWING SAID FRONT WALL TO PIVOT IN RESPONSE TO TEMPERATURE CHANGES WHICH ACTIVATE SAID TEMPERATURERESPONSIVE MEANS. 